Dna and Protein Alterations in Hela Cells

Abundant evidence obtained by several different experimental approaches indicates that adenoviruses multiply within nuclei of infected HeLa cells (1-6) and that characteristic intranuclear structures containing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) form during viral infection (3). Indeed, certain of the structures containing deoxyribonucleic acid are composed of viral-like particles which in m a n y instances are arranged in crystalline lattice arrays (4--6). The striking intranuclear changes encountered in the cytologic and cytochemical studies suggested that adenovirus infection of HeLa cells ma y serve as an excellent model in which to investigate the biochemical changes resulting from propagation of an animal virus within the nucleus of a cell. I t is the purpose of this communication to present the results of studies which have demonstrated that a marked increase in deoxyribonucleic acid and protein occurs in HeLa cells infected with type 4 adenovirus, tha t the majori ty of the D N A is not incorporated into infectious viral particles, and that a large proportion of the accumulated D N A differs from normal host cell D N A in its solubility properties and relative nucleotide composition.